Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: This study intends to solve the disputes between the free cash flow hypothesis and the tunneling hypothesis in explaining the role of cash dividends on asset expropriation of the controlling shareholders in Chinese listed firms, by investigating the values of cash holdings and cash dividends between firms with high and low ownership control. Research Findings/Insights: The results show that investors value more the cash dividends of firms with high ownership control than those of firms with low ownership control, and value more the cash holdings of firms with low ownership control than those of firms with high ownership control, more consistent with the free cash flow hypothesis rather than the tunneling hypothesis. Theoretical/Academic Implications: This study contributes to the literature of agency theory and international corporate governance by solving the disputes regarding the role of cash dividends in asset expropriation of controlling shareholders in Chinese listed firms. This study also contributes to the literature of cash holdings by showing that the most essential condition for these firms to hold high level of cash holdings is the quality of investor protection. This provides an example of the applicability of the Anglo-Saxon theory to emerging markets. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Even though the evidence does not support the tunneling hypothesis of cash dividends, it still suggests that investors are concerned with high cash payouts, which could thus lower firm value. Thus, changing corporate ownership structure and improving investor protection are necessary to deepen the development of financial markets.

This study examines the effects of different dimensions of financing constraints (financial market development, governance environments, ownership control and other firm-specific characteristics) on cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) for all takeover bids announced in nine East Asian economies from 1998 to 2005. The results of logistic regressions verify that the extent of stock market and governance developments encourages cross-border M&As in this region. The results also indicate that firm-specific financing constraints, except the ownership control variables, reduce the occurrence of cross-border M&As related to domestic M&As. Although family- and state-controlled firms have better access to external financing, they are reluctant to risk diluting their management control and thus prefers less cross-border M&As to domestic M&As. This study enhances the empirical studies of the financing constraint-investment relation based on the market imperfection theory in corporate finance theories. Information asymmetry is the main reason causing the market imperfection and leading to financing constraints to corporate investments. This study, by examining the relation over nine East Asian firms, thus provides an understanding of how such a relation fits in the firms in countries where information asymmetry is high.